Wisconsin’s extreme gerrymandering era ends as new maps come into force

Although state is one most competitive in US, Republicans had been guaranteed control of legislature for over a decade

For more than a decade, an anti-democratic reality has loomed over Wisconsin: elections for the state legislature don't matter.

Since 2012, no matter how voters throughout one of America's most competitive states cast their ballots, Republicans have been guaranteed to hold control of the state legislature. That's because for more than a decade Republicans drew districts lines that are so distorted in their favor, they cemented their control. The dominance was underscored in 2022 when Tony Evers, a Democrat, won re-election with 51.2% of the vote. Republicans still held 65% of the seats in the 99-person state assembly.